By Honorary Reporter Ileana-Constantina Vulpescu from Romania
Photos = Korean Embassy in Romania

The National Institute for International Education of Korea on July 1 announced this year's recipients of the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), five of whom were from Romania.

The Korean Embassy in Bucharest on July 26 congratulated the Romanian receipients, with Korean Ambassador Rim Kap-soo saying, "The GKS represents a tremendous opportunity for you to become major actors in the expansion and diversification of intellectual and cultural exchanges between Korea and Romania."

The embassy helped arrange the following email interview with the five on Aug. 10.

Korean Ambassador to Romania Rim Kap-soo and four of the five Romanian recipients of the GKS pose for a photo at the Korean Embassy in Bucharest on July 26. 

Madalina Roxana Istrate, a native of the small town Botosani, majored in Korean and Norwegian at Babes-Bolyai University and earned a master's in Korean studies at SOAS University in the U.K. This year, she will enroll at Keimyung University in Seoul to earn a Ph.D. in teaching Korean as a foreign language. Her goal is to be a professor of Korean in her country.

Oana Maria Caliman holds a bachelor's in communications and public relations from the Polytechnic University of Timisoara. She said Korea's technical advances motivated her to study at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

Elena-Alexandra Schiopirlan, a native of the capital of Bucharest, has a bachelor's in social work from Bucharest University and will study social welfare practice at Kyungpook National University in Daegu.

Another Bucharest native, Elena Daniela Marin, earned a bachelor's in English and Korean from the University of Bucharest. She will study political science and diplomacy at Yonsei University in Seoul.

Maria Calugar from Oradea earned undergraduate degrees in psychology, finance and banking and a master's in business administration from Germany. Having studied Korean for six months in Seoul, she said Korea is the right place for her to progress both professionally and personally. She will study cultural social psychology at Kookmin University in Seoul.

The four Romanian GKS recipients attend a meeting at the Korean Embassy in Bucharest on July 26.

The interview began with a broad question on the students' decisions to study in Korea. They said their interest in K-dramas and K-pop spurred them to learn more about Korean culture. 

The GKS application process can be difficult and complicated, but Istrate said, "If you compose your essays before the application procedure, things will go more smoothly." 

Caliman added, "You just have to be confident, organized and most importantly, constantly positive." 

Schiopirlan said, "Extra care is appreciated because the process and document preparation take time."

Though taking the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) is not required, having a TOPIK score is advantageous to an application. "Even those who apply for this scholarship without prior understanding of Korean may be chosen. It depends on the essay and interview," Marin said. "But having a TOPIK score is an advantage that strengthens your application."

The five gave the following final tips to those considering applying for the scholarship.

Istrate: I advise GKS applicants to prepare in advance, carefully check the guidelines and be careful with the documents. Don't give up. And do as many extracurricular activities as possible like volunteering, student associations and organizations. Everything matters and makes your application stronger.

Caliman: Even if you think you're not prepared enough, just apply. By doing so, you're halfway there. If you wish hard enough for something to happen, it will. Build a ladder, take your time to climb it and take what you need.

Schiopirlan: I thought I'd be too old when I graduate, but I still wanted to go to Korea. At the time, my friend told me, "Time will pass anyway. In five years, you could still be wishing to go to Korea or you could be in Korea studying or working. So it's up to you what you want to do with your time."

Marin: Just try it. It's not easy but worth it. You might feel like giving up, but if you truly wish and work for it, it will happen. Don't be afraid to start because you have nothing to lose.

Calugar: I say don't give up as I received the GKS on my fifth attempt. The process might be difficult but it's worth it. Be careful with document preparation and write your personal statement and study plan well. Read the guidelines again and make sure you follow everything. Ask friends or family to help you check your documents just in case you overlook details. Also start to prepare as soon as the scholarship announcement is posted. Time flies fast so the deadline might approach without you having the documents.

enny0611@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.